Showing posts with label precipitation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label precipitation. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Seasonal Allergies in Japan


Japan belongs to the temperate zone with four distinct seasons, and has six principal climatic zones: Hokkaidō (北海道) with long, cold winters and cool summers; Central Highland (中央高地) with typical inland climate and large temperature differences between summers and winters and between days and nights; Seto Inland Sea (瀬戸内海): with mild climate; Pacific Ocean (太平洋): with cold rainy winters and hot humid summers;  Ryukyu Islands (南西諸) with warm rainy winters and hot humid summers. Heat and high humidity can lead to possible food poisoning, fatigue and heat stroke.
More than 5,000 species of plants find home in these diverse climatic conditions and more than 60 types produce pollen that can cause allergic reactions. In Tokyo, common allergy-causing plants and their pollen seasons are as follows:

  • Japanese cedar sugi (February - April)
  • Japanese cypress hinoki (mid March - early May)
  • Rice plant ine (May - mid July / mid August - mid October)
  • Ragweed butakusa (mid August - October)
  • Artemisia yomogi (mid August - October)

  • Japanese Cedar is one of the major causes of seasonal allergic rhinitis and seasonal allergic conjunctivitis (itchy eyes). Its pollen is one of the most potent known and may cause severe symptoms. In Tokyo, about one in 3.5 people is believed to suffer from sugi allergy. The Japanese cedar pollen is present from approximately the end of January until the beginning of April on the north island and mid-April until early May on the south island. The cypress tree flowers a little later than that of the cedar tree and could also contribute to allergies. The pollination of Ragweed begins in late summer, around August, but its impact is less significant than in North America. 

      January February March April May June July August September October November December
    Trees Japan Pollen Calendar
    Grasses
    Weeds
     
    See this site by Allergy Research Group, Department of Otorhinolaryngolgy, Jikei Medical School, for more information. Or sign up for Aurametrix and start analyzing your allergies - to control them wherever you go.

    Saturday, May 14, 2011

    How cold is cold enough? How humid is really humid?

    How cold is too cold? How windy is really windy? It depends on where you live. If you are from the South you will need a blanket if it's below 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 °C). If you are accustomed to cold weather, 70 (20+ C) is too hot.  For residents of Oymyakon in Eastern Siberia with average winter temperature of -49°F (−45°C) and record low -90°F (-67.7°C), -30°F (−34.4°C)  is pretty pleasant. If you live in Cold Bay, Alaska, 15 miles per hour is not really windy, while in Oak Ridge, Tennessee average wind blows at only 4 miles per hour.

    In general,
    110 Fahrenheit is considered dangerously hot
    100° F may be hazardous
    90° F is uncomfortably hot
    80-40 is considered a relatively comfortable range - the average surface temperature of the Earth is 59° F
    30° F is uncomfortably cold
    15° F is very cold (although for avid runners cold is below 10 F with winds over 15 mph)
    0° F is bitter cold with significant risk of frostbite

    But let's take a closer look at the world's climate, mostly defined by long-term (30 years) patterns in temperature and precipitation:


    Purple regions (A) in this map are hot and rainy year around. Orange areas (B) are dry with little rain and a large range of daily temperatures. Green areas are two-season climates with warm, dry summers and cool, wet winters. Blue regions (C) have continental climates with distinct four seasons and moderate precipitation. E denote cold areas with permanent ice and tundra. Only about four out of twelve months temperature in these areas raises above freezing.

    3 most windy cities in US (seasonal wind averages are given in miles per hour):
    City                JAN    FEB    MAR    APR    MAY    JUN    JUL    AUG    SEP    OCT    NOV    DEC    ANN
    MT. WASHINGTON, NH  46.1   44.3   41.4   35.8   29.7   27.3   25.3   24.7   28.8   33.8   39.5   44.5   35.1
    ST. PAUL ISLAND, AK 19.9   20.0   18.8   17.4   14.9   13.6   12.1   13.7   15.4   17.4   20.0   20.1   16.9
    COLD BAY,AK         17.5   17.9   17.4   17.5   16.2   15.8   15.6   16.2   16.2   16.6   17.5   17.5   16.8

    10 most humid cities in US:
    No. 10: Olympia, WA
    Average relative humidity: 78%
    Average annual precipitation days: 163
    Highest precipitation month: November
    No. 9: Houston, TX
    Average relative humidity: 78%
    Average annual precipitation days: 105
    Highest precipitation month: June
    No. 8: Brownsville, TX
    Average relative humidity: 78%
    Average annual precipitation days: 73
    Highest precipitation month: September
    No. 7: Victoria, TX
    Average relative humidity: 78.5%
    Average annual precipitation days: 91
    Highest precipitation month: May

    Average relative humidity: 78.5%
    Average annual precipitation days: 77
    Highest precipitation month: September
    Average relative humidity: 79.5%
    Average annual precipitation days: 104
    Highest precipitation month: June
    Average relative humidity: 78.5%
    Average annual precipitation days: 77
    Highest precipitation month: September
    Average relative humidity: 81%
    Average annual precipitation days: 193
    Highest precipitation month: November
    Average relative humidity: 83%
    Average annual precipitation days: 209
    Highest precipitation month: November
    No. 1: Quillayute, WA
    Average relative humidity: 83.5%
    Average annual precipitation days: 209
    Highest precipitation month: November 

    Highest Average Annual Precipitation Extremes in the World

    Continent Highest
    Avg.
    (Inches)
    Place Elevation
    (Feet)
    Years
    of
    Record

    South America 523.6 * Lloro, Colombia 520 29

    Asia 467.4 * Mawsynram, India 4597 38

    Oceania 460.0 * Mt. Waialeale, Kauai, HI 5148 30

    Africa 405.0 Debundscha, Cameroon 30 32

    South America 354.0  Quibdo, Colombia 120 16

    Australia 340.0 Bellenden Ker, Queensland 5102 9

    North America 256.0 Henderson Lake, British Colombia 12 14

    Europe 183.0 Crkvica, Bosnia-Hercegovina 3337 22
    * The value given is continent's highest and possibly the world's depending on measurement practices, procedures and period of record variations.